Nintendo Wii Information, hardware, games discussion

[pk500]

Re: Nintendo Wii (Revolution) Information, hardware, games discussion

Anybody who thought the Wii would come in at 200 bucks was being extremely hopeful. All signs have and always have pointed to 250 so no one should be surprised.

And what signs were those? All Nintendo ever said on the record was that the console would cost no more than $250. Meanwhile, SKU sheets, advance catalog listings and analyst predictions ranged anywhere from $149-$229.

Why are people dissing Nintendo for adding a web browser and phot viewer among other things, yet praising Microsoft (and Sony) for doing the same thing with their machines? Seems silly to me. And anyone who thinks adding a web browser added 50 bucks to the cost of the machine is delusional.

Because the one consistent theme among sphinx-like Nintendo execs leading up to today was that this machine would be a gaming machine and not have the bells and whistles of the 360 and PS3. And now it has a Web browser, photo viewer, and news and weather feeds? Maybe it didn't add $50 to the final price, but it had to add something.

The Wii isn't a substitute for a 360 or a PS3, its a stand-alone device that offers a different experience. I personally think the Wii looks fun and I feel like I'll get more fun out of one than I would a 360 or a PS3. Those two systems will have some quality titles, but they're all games I've played before just with a fresh coat of paint. The Wii offers a different experience. It liken it to playing Guitar Hero with a regular Dual Shock controller vs the Guitar Controller. Yeah it can be entertaining on a Dual Shock, but the experience is completely different (and infinitely superiour) when played with the special Guitar Controller. I don't care about whats under the hood. Zelda looks splendid and Red Steel isn't hard to look at either. Hell I can still enjoy a Genesis game so visuals are pretty low on my list of necessities. You can pretty much sign me up for a Wii and Zelda on launch, it will be 300 bucks well spent.

Fair enough. Maybe my disappointment will dissipate in a few days, and I'll be back on the Wii wagon. Because when I look at the game trailers, the games do look damn FUN. And that's what this hobby is about.

But I'm disappointed at the retail price and at the extra peripheral costs and Virtual Console game prices. I do like the Wii Sports pack-in, though, as that title jazzed me from the minute I saw it.

Take care,
PK

[pk500]

Re: Nintendo Wii (Revolution) Information, hardware, games discussion

However, I believe the Wii will be a phenominal gaming machine. It will do for the console market, what the DS did to the handheld market. It will show people how fun games can really be.

This is exactly what I'm clinging to now. I need something new, something fresh, and I completely agree with the "new layer of makeup on the same, old girl" comments about the Xbox 360 and PS3 games.

The Dreamcast -- sniff, sniff, I still miss her -- opened my eyes to genres I never would have considered with the PSX. I think the Wii could do that now, as the glut of racers, EA/2K sports games and first-person shooters on the 360 and eventually the PS3 is turning me off. The cartoony, campy Nintendo stuff has appeal, as I haven't owned a Nintendo system since the NES.

Jayzus Christ, boys, I'm participating in open gaming therapy in this thread. Thanks for hanging in there with me as swivel, equivocate and flip-flop.

Take care,
PK

[bryan_05]

Re: Nintendo Wii (Revolution) Information, hardware, games discussion

Does it have a hard drive? If yes, what size?

[elTodd]

Re: Nintendo Wii (Revolution) Information, hardware, games discussion

This is exactly what I'm clinging to now. I need something new, something fresh, and I completely agree with the "new layer of makeup on the same, old girl" comments about the Xbox 360 and PS3 games.

The Dreamcast -- sniff, sniff, I still miss her -- opened my eyes to genres I never would have considered with the PSX. I think the Wii could do that now, as the glut of racers, EA/2K sports games and first-person shooters on the 360 and eventually the PS3 is turning me off. The cartoony, campy Nintendo stuff has appeal, as I haven't owned a Nintendo system since the NES.

Jayzus Christ, boys, I'm participating in open gaming therapy in this thread. Thanks for hanging in there with me as swivel, equivocate and flip-flop.

Take care,
PK

Exactly why I'm getting a Wii. The games will be flat-out fun.

Don't get me wrong, I love my 360. But I can only play so many FPSs and same old sports games. I need something fresh and new. This is where I think the Wii will shine. It will get more people to play games that are fun.

PK, you can't go wrong with the 360. It is a great machine. If you are only getting one, I would wait and see what else develops with the Wii around launch time.

I hope you are happy with which ever system you purchase.

[rudyjuly2]

Re: Nintendo Wii (Revolution) Information, hardware, games discussion

And I whole-heartedly disagree with the notion that the 360 is the machine made for gaming above the others. First of all, the statement is stupid because all three are first and foremost game machines. Companies only add other features to differentiate between the consoles since their likely is going to be little to no difference in performance among today's high-end machines. And even if one machine was more for gaming over the others, clearly it would be the Wii, which is designed specifically with gameplay in mind over everything else.

That's not really true. The PS3 owes a tremendous amount of its price tag strictly because of the Blue Rae technology which is not required for gaming. Furthermore, Sony execs are using the PS3 to push their HD DVD format to help in the other parts of their business. While all of the systems may be gaming machines first, the HD player in the PS3 is a close second that's taking up a huge cost and may really hurt Sony's market share. Adding anything to a system that is not required for gaming adds cost to a machine.

I remember when the PS2 first came out, 20% of the people in Japan bought is SOLELY for a DVD player. Extra features don't just separate the machines. For the PS3, Blue Rae is the only thing that will really separate it from the 360 and it costs an extra $200.

[pk500]

Re: Nintendo Wii (Revolution) Information, hardware, games discussion

Exactly why I'm getting a Wii. The games will be flat-out fun.

Don't get me wrong, I love my 360. But I can only play so many FPSs and same old sports games. I need something fresh and new. This is where I think the Wii will shine. It will get more people to play games that are fun.

PK, you can't go wrong with the 360. It is a great machine. If you are only getting one, I would wait and see what else develops with the Wii around launch time.

I hope you are happy with which ever system you purchase.

Yeah, I'm only choosing one. I've always been console monogamous, as gaming doesn't mean enough to me -- plus I have a wife and three small kids, so time isn't oozing from every corner -- to have more than one console.

Thanks for the well wishes, dude.

Take care,
PK

[goh]

Re: Nintendo Wii (Revolution) Information, hardware, games discussion

I'll wait 'till the first $50 price drop. There'll be more games I'm instrested in by then too,there's not much right now.

[Scottdau]

Re: Nintendo Wii (Revolution) Information, hardware, games discussion

Yeah, I'm only choosing one. I've always been console monogamous, as gaming doesn't mean enough to me -- plus I have a wife and three small kids, so time isn't oozing from every corner -- to have more than one console.

Thanks for the well wishes, dude.

Take care,
PK

I second that! And if you like sports as much I do that take some time away from video gaming. Plus what is up with the Joy stick being control by your hands and arms. When I saw that video about Madden I thought it was a Saturday Night Live skit! lol Well I guess it is like you always say PK different strokes for different folks lol.

[Stormyhog]

Re: Nintendo Wii (Revolution) Information, hardware, games discussion

That's not really true. The PS3 owes a tremendous amount of its price tag strictly because of the Blue Rae technology which is not required for gaming. Furthermore, Sony execs are using the PS3 to push their HD DVD format to help in the other parts of their business. While all of the systems may be gaming machines first, the HD player in the PS3 is a close second that's taking up a huge cost and may really hurt Sony's market share. Adding anything to a system that is not required for gaming adds cost to a machine.

I remember when the PS2 first came out, 20% of the people in Japan bought is SOLELY for a DVD player. Extra features don't just separate the machines. For the PS3, Blue Rae is the only thing that will really separate it from the 360 and it costs an extra $200.

Blue-Ray may not be required for gaming but it will benefit them, as developers will not have to cut corners as much when putting a game on a disc because of the size. Also even if Blue-ray didn't become the next format of movies it would still be used for games on the PS3. I prefer Blue-Rays benefits more for gaming than movies as I am more than happy with the current DVD format but if it is the next format for movies so be it.

[Rodster]

Re: Nintendo Wii (Revolution) Information, hardware, games discussion

Blue-Ray may not be required for gaming but it will benefit them, as developers will not have to cut corners as much when putting a game on a disc because of the size. Also even if Blue-ray didn't become the next format of movies it would still be used for games on the PS3. I prefer Blue-Rays benefits more for gaming than movies as I am more than happy with the current DVD format but if it is the next format for movies so be it.

The problem I have with your theory is that most games 85-95% will be multiplatform. Developers therefore will look at the lowest common denominator, the 360. The one reason why Oblivion suffers from it's loading problems is because the target system was the 360 Core with no HD.

So devs will have to decide if they target the PS3 first do they make their game on multiple dvds for the 360. My feeling is that only exclusives will take advantage of BR. Games like FF or MGS where lots of cutscenes are involved and require lots of space.

[TheMatrix31]

Re: Nintendo Wii (Revolution) Information, hardware, games discussion

If the system is $250, extra controller and nunchuck thing is $60, memory card is $30 (let's say), and one game is $50, that's around 430 bucks with tax and all that. That doesn't even equal a Premium 360 and one extra wireless controller. Thank God I got my 360 at a discounted price, because I'd be really pissed about buying extra perihperals and other crap like that.

People shouldn't be complaining about the Wii and any extra stuff you guys have to buy for it. For the 360, we have to buy memory cards, transfer kits (if you want NCAA or any other rosters), extra controllers, extra maps, extra whatever. Now THAT'S a money-sucker.

I'll end up with a Wii also. I wonder how much I can get for the good ol' Cube nowadays.

[Spongedaddy]

Re: Nintendo Wii (Revolution) Information, hardware, games discussion

If the system is $250, extra controller and nunchuck thing is $60, memory card is $30 (let's say), and one game is $50, that's around 430 bucks with tax and all that. That doesn't even equal a Premium 360 and one extra wireless controller. Thank God I got my 360 at a discounted price, because I'd be really pissed about buying extra perihperals and other crap like that.

People shouldn't be complaining about the Wii and any extra stuff you guys have to buy for it. For the 360, we have to buy memory cards, transfer kits (if you want NCAA or any other rosters), extra controllers, extra maps, extra whatever. Now THAT'S a money-sucker.

I'll end up with a Wii also. I wonder how much I can get for the good ol' Cube nowadays.

I didn't need anything extra with my 360 except the memory recharge and cooling thingy. With the Wii I will need to get component cables. It is about $150 less. I still really like the concept but for the money I am going to wait and re-buy a 360 and pick up Zelda for the GC.

To get off of the money...this article http://wii.ign.com/articles/732/732953p1.html made me wonder if the Wii's launch issues will be games that don't respond as well to the control scheme. Every machine has issues at launch and for developers the Wii is something new. I wonder how it will go...

[pk500]

Re: Nintendo Wii (Revolution) Information, hardware, games discussion

The problem I have with your theory is that most games 85-95% will be multiplatform. Developers therefore will look at the lowest common denominator, the 360. The one reason why Oblivion suffers from it's loading problems is because the target system was the 360 Core with no HD.

So devs will have to decide if they target the PS3 first do they make their game on multiple dvds for the 360. My feeling is that only exclusives will take advantage of BR. Games like FF or MGS where lots of cutscenes are involved and require lots of space.

Oh, cool. Now we can have another game like Metal Gear 2 for the PS2, which was more of a movie than a game!

Pardon me while I leap for joy about 1 inch off the floor.

Take care,
PK

[pk500]

Re: Nintendo Wii (Revolution) Information, hardware, games discussion

Pretty interesting impressions from the Wii launch by someone who was there. Seems the Wiimote isn't working as well as Nintendo and its fans want us to believe:

http://www.destructoid.com/a-wiis-day-is-done-looking-back-at-the-nyc-nintendo-event

I'm distancing myself from the Wii, at least at launch, further and further as I read stuff like this.

Take care,
PK

[EZ Snappin]

Re: Nintendo Wii (Revolution) Information, hardware, games discussion

Pretty interesting impressions from the Wii launch by someone who was there. Seems the Wiimote isn't working as well as Nintendo and its fans want us to believe:

http://www.destructoid.com/a-wiis-day-is-done-looking-back-at-the-nyc-nintendo-event

I'm distancing myself from the Wii, at least at launch, further and further as I read stuff like this.

Take care,
PK

Couple of things:

1. Other sites have mentioned some hiccups with the controllers. Most are speculating that it had to do with dozens and dozens of systems set up in a small area. Having never tried to use a bluetooth device in the presence of dozens of other people using the same bluetooth device, I can't judge. And, to be honest, until we hear of unresponsiveness with only one system in range (which I haven't seen, even with prototype demos at E3), I'm going to be open-minded to other things causing problems.

2. This article is by the same tool who was fired from Joystiq for over-hyping non-news. Do you think it possible he is being harsh on Nintendo for that reason, or that he just plain blows as a writer/blogger/journo wannabe?

I know you're more hesitant because of price and lack of DVD playback, so I'm going to smile and assume you're trying to talk yourself down still.

It's all good - I'm trying to justify waiting for that first (or second) price drop to get any of the "new-gen" systems. It sure is painful sometimes...